1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of bathroom appliances. More particularly, it pertains to dental implements of the type used in the bathroom and specifically to a portable combination toothpaste dispenser and toothbrush holder for use by all members of the family.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dental caries, or "cavities" as they are otherwise known, have been with us since the beginning. Virtually everything that is edible has some deleterious effect on the teeth and, unless measures are taken to ward off those effects, the teeth become decayed and may ultimately be rendered useless. Brushing the teeth with various chemicals and mild grinding compounds, the combination known as "dentrifrices", has proven to be the best overall decay preventative.
Marketing dentrifices is an intense business. The public is constantly plied with products in powder and liquid from as well as in semi-liquid paste form called "toothpaste". They contain various chemicals to affect the taste, smell and color, as well as harden the tooth enamel against decay, all with the idea of convincing buyers that one product is better than or offers advantages over another. Since eating is a cradle-to-grave habit, it is thought that the earlier one begins practicing good dental habits, such as brushing after every meal, the better the overall health of the teeth will fare. To this end, much emphasis is placed on making the tooth-brushing operation desirable with children.
Between liquids, powders and semi-liquids or pastes, toothpaste has traditionally been desired by families wanting to teach their children to brush. Liquids are easily spilled and powders can be all too easily dispersed by sneezing; toothpaste seems to be the safest for children and most grownups. While various colors, including stripes, have been imparted to pastes, and while the flavors have been varied to make them more palatable, by far the most attention and emphasis has been placed on making a toothpaste dispenser that is easy to handle, convenient, safe and fun to use. Dispensers such as those shown in U.S. Pats. Nos. 2,906,479; 3,155,279; 3,178,060; and, 4,020,975 are all, to some extent, attempts to make toothpaste dispensing more convenient--almost to the point of being fun.
Recently, toothpaste has been marketed in a narrow pump-tube dispenser that is characterized by a narrow, upstanding paste-container tube with top-mounted pump plunger and spaced-apart dispenser port. These dispensers are designed to dispense toothpaste from the port onto a brush held close by upon activating the plunger. These pump-tubes have met with a noticeable degree of public acceptance. Unfortunately, they are deficient in that (1) the narrow base allows them to topple over onto the floor where some toothpaste may be thereafter smeared into the floor or rug; (2) the dexterity required to hold the pump-tube in one hand, hold a toothbrush in the other hand and operate the pump-tube plunger is often beyond the capabilities of small children; (3) the pump-tube plunger is located off-center, is small and narrow such that, when pressed, the tube tends to flip over from its narrow base onto its side and slide off the wash stand; (4) on at least one model the dispenser port is aimed upward so that idle pressing of the plunger (such as by children playing in the bathroom) causes paste to well up out of the port and ooze back over the top of the pump-tube creating an unsightly mess; (5) if not used regularly, the dispenser port may clog with dried paste and the port is not removable for ease in cleaning and, (6) the removable top or cover gets regularly smeared with toothpaste and, if not cleaned up, results in a discolored glob that detracts from the overall esthetics of the product.